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Blue Is the Warmest Color

7/8/2015

56 Comments

 

B+
3.24

  • Hardly ever does an audience get to be so involved in a relationship at every aspect and actually see and feel all of the emotions and reactions that the characters carry - Bobby
  • As an argument for coming out, Blue is the Warmest Color may as well have been written by Harvey Milk - Jon
  • Blue manages to weave these philosophical diatribes into its narrative effortlessly - Phil
Picture
Initial review by: Bobby

"Determined to fall in love, 15-year-old Adèle is focused on boys. But it's a blue-haired girl she meets on the street who really piques her interest."

That is the Netflix snippet on Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue Is the Warmest Color... and after watching, it's one of the most inaccurate descriptions of a movie that I've ever read... which is a good thing. The film is so much more interesting and powerful than those two sentences even attempt to imply. 

I suppose the first question would be, what is this movie really about? As much as some people may beg to differ... it's not just lesbians and sex. At its base, it's a love story, about passions colliding from different worlds. What really sets it apart though, is its depiction and relatability of that love and passion... especially all the emotions that come along for the ride. What really worked for me were the slow and believable settings of every day life with Adèle. From walking to, and missing, the bus, to sitting in class and at the dinner table... it forces us to be involved and invested in Adèle as a person, and not just a piece of the story. Also, she likes gypsy music, hates screaming music and likes gyros and Kubrick... sounds like a good and interesting person to me! Anyway, I never felt like she was determined to fall in love, only determined to stay there once she was. She was never focused on boys, but went along with what she thought was normal and expected of her... clearly confused and trying to figure our her sexuality. So yeah, it's Adèle's story of finding oneself, growing, loving, hurting, losing, and living.


We're given the entire process... pre relationship to post relationship. We see the insecure teenager who is trying to fit in with her friends, but clearly doesn't feel completely comfortable with her sexuality. We see instances that push her curiosity, and uncertainty, and we see that develop into a full blown relationship built on time, effort and love. We then see it slowly crumble from such insecurities and uncertainties and how difficult moving on can be. 

The great thing about this, is that we are shown all of it. The movie is three hours, but for good reason. Hardly ever does an audience get to be so involved in a relationship at every aspect and actually see and feel the all of emotions and reactions that the characters carry. And it's all given a heightened sense of realism.. through the high school fights and immaturity, dancing, laughing, believable conversations, emotional eating, carrying difficult emotions at work, around others, returning to memorable places and moments, etc. We see a lot of what may seem unnecessary and mundane, but vital to the feeling of the film. We get relationship and sexual parallels within every day settings. We are shown the collision of two different worlds as well... one upper class, liberal and encouraged to pursue a life of passion, the other middle class and conservative, pushed to be practical and do what's expected.  Adèle coming out of her comfort zone, as seen when she is trying oysters served in Emma's world. But we see her falling back into what she knows when insecurities creep back, such as making and serving the spaghetti, which she was so used to in her world. Normal things like worrying about the way Emma looks at Lise, or feeling alone and uncertain. Everybody who has been in a relationship can relate to something Adèle does or feels at some point in her story, and that's driven by how it's presented.

One of my favorite things about the movie is that the story is not only told through the characters, but also complimented by the readings, lectures, and, discussions of books that we hear throughout. I'm going back through some of those scenes as I write this so I can better recall what they told us. The first reading we hear talks about the heart missing something, but not knowing what it is (which comes up again in conversation). And the teacher brings up love at first sight... the glance shared between people crossing paths. Which is how it all starts for Adèle with Emma. Is it regret? Destiny? Something else entirely? The first reading also mentions love starting off sincere, but falling into a desire to please. The next lecture mentions being little, not feeling mature or strong enough, and making the choice to not feel little anymore. And more importantly, that 'tragedy is unavoidable.' I think this pretty much tells us that things are gonna get bad at some point... which for me, was foreshadowed with the way difference in taste were so readily presented to us... such as the Strawberry Milk drink, eating the skin, etc. Tragedy was unavoidable.

Next, Emma tells Adèle of Sartre, and how 'define ourselves by our actions' giving 'us a great responsibility,' to which Adèle says she didn't understand. The next talks about vice being natural occurrence, and that everything eventually gets perverted. All of these parallel Adèle's story with Emma. It's also here where we see Adèle become less interested in her classes, a stark contrast to how she enjoyed and paid attention to the discussions before her focus shifted to Emma. From here, we have Adèle reading to her class. First a story of a lamb and wolf... and with every knock, the fear of the wolf coming back. This is at a time where Adèle is doing what she loves, but of course there's the threat of her insecurities and loneliness coming back, along with the scene's focus on her co-worker... leading directly into the party that really starts to stir those feelings. Our final reading is a poem that Adèle has her first graders read entitled "No Need", that seems to say, there is no need to do or be something you're not, when you already have the means to reach the desired outcome. To me, it's Adèle having no need of Emma to continue her story... to move on, to mature, and be happy with herself and her life... even if she still doesn't fully understand yet. I'm sure some of that could be a stretch or just simple taken a completely different way by others... but I thought it was an interesting component to an already genuine and believable story. 

Of course, that story was elevated even higher by the directing and acting. First off, the acting was absolutely outstanding. I always feel good when I get through a movie and don't feel like any small roles were completely miscast or misplayed, no bad parts that end up being a large distraction. More importantly, the lead roles were cast and played near flawlessly. Adèle Exarchopoulos, as Adèle, has to jump toward the top of our Best Actress list. She gave us an incredible range of emotions, everyone of them believable... and yet always returning to her base expression of uncertainty and insecurity that was presented so honestly. She apparently received nearly 40 nominations, and deserved every bit of the praise. We can expect to see her in plenty of Hollywood films in the future... starting with a role alongside Javier Bardem and Charlize Theron in an upcoming Sean Penn film. Not to be outdone, Léa Seydoux was also spot on as Emma. We've seen her before (Inglorious Basterds, Grand Budapest Hotel), and she's soon to be the next Bond Girl. It's really difficult to find any fault in how the two leads played their roles, so it's really nothing but praise, as their performances made the movie. 

There's also been quite the controversy over how they were treated by Kechiche during filming, although all parties rightfully seem pleased with the result. Kechiche's directing and choices were a big part of that, no doubt. His most notable choice of shots, is definitely the close up. The way Kechiche chose to show their expressions and bodies made every thing feel more intimate and real. Of course, the constant blue tones and dominance of the blue from Emma's hair, Adèle's sheets, the smoke bomb, Beatrice's nails during Adèle's first kiss with another girl... to how the blue seems to be less prominent when she's happy with Emma, only to return again after this go bad. He made good use of the color and it's attachment to emotion. It's also a nice touch that the only artist Adèle really seemed to know/mention was Picasso, having his whole "blue period" and all. In the end, I think we truly get to see the product that Kechiche envisioned... I don't think the mentioning of Kubrick was a coincidence, as he was known for strict directing and a tough atmosphere in order to get every shot just how he wanted. Kechiche even throws in a jab at himself in the end, about ball busting directors. Unlike the actresses, however, he doesn't get all praise. Kechiche is responsible for the gripes I do have. 

The sex scenes have been a big topic, of course. For me, there's some good and some bad to how these were done. The good, is that they felt real and intense for Adèle and Emma within the atmosphere of the film. We see and feel Adèle go from curious and unsure to becoming a confident and eager lover. As mentioned before, the close ups, especially of their faces, really bring out the passion and energy of the scenes. On the other hand, a part of it just felt like Kechiche was fulfilling a fantasy of filming/directing lesbian scenes, and this was just his vision of that. If it wasn't for the story and acting surrounding it, it really just would have been lesbian porn. It actually reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend about sex scenes in shows, especially gay scenes. He was hesitant to watch Sense8 because of the multiple gay sex scenes, and I tried to explain that while watching a series or movie, we aren't viewing those scenes in order to get turned on, but to develop/compliment the plot and characters. This holds true here, but it also seemed that Kechiceh put a little extra erotic effort into the scenes that went beyond what was necessary. I think it would have been tremendously beneficial if he brought in somebody to consult on some of the scenes, such as the way George Miller brought in Eve Ensler. Actually having real lesbians on set and helping would have added to the realism and made it feel less like Kechiche's fantasy on film. 

Aside from just the sex scenes, spotlighting LGBTQ characters and relationships is something we need to see more of, and I hope it continues as a normalized part of the mainstream film/media market... but directors should make the effort to make sure it's presented as well as possible if it's not something they're connected to and knowledgeable about. 

Also, the restaurant scene bothered me some. Blue is the Warmest Color does such a great job of making everything feel authentic, from the characters to the settings, to the conversation. But then, we're placed in a restaurant where nobody notices a woman grabbing another woman's hand and having her finger her... and not subtly under the table. So either the service at that place is really horrible where servers never come around, or they have really liberal policies about sexual behavior in public. The women behind Adèle would have had a pretty good view, too, but their expressions when Adèle left said otherwise. Fortunately the diaglogue and emotion in the scene greatly overshadowed the complete lapse of logic, so it was still a strong portion of the story. Especially seeing how people lie to each other, and themselves... as Emma does about not loving Adèle anymore.


I could probably talk about plenty more... film/culture differences, dialogue, as there are always lines that stand out for me, etc, but we can leave some things for discussion... and I feel like I should wrap this up. 

I'm glad I broke the veto record. I've wanted to watch this, but 3 hours scared me off a few times. Now that I've seen it, I have to say Blue Is the Warmest Color is the best movie I've watched so far this year, and deserves the accolades and praise it has received. My heart says A+, but writing everything out keeps me grounded. So, while it isn't a perfect movie, it does most things so well, that the gripes I have with it only barely knock off the plus. It's a solid A. 

56 Comments
Sean
7/8/2015 08:29:19 am

First, great review Bobby. The discussion points about the literature readings and where they fit into Adele's life is top notch. I noticed those things in the moments but that's the sort of thing I always forget about come review time.

This movie reminded me of the classic ending lines to the movie Speed.
Jack: I have to warn you, I've heard relationships based on intense experiences never work.
Annie: Ok. We'll have to base it on sex then.

If Blue is the Warmest Color is right, relationships based on sex don't turn out in the end either and you need a grounding of equal partnership. Adele and Emma were only ever equals sexually. In their first encounter in the club Adele was so obviously out of place and uncomfortable in her own skin that Emma had the upper hand. On early dates Adele expressed admiration of Emma's fine arts interest and how she doesn't understand philosophy much but wished she did and Emma basically said she never got into literature much but didn't have the equal enthusiasm to learn from Adele. As Emma began to have success they had a party full of Emma's friends, Adele no longer seemed to have any of her own friends, the party drove the equality gap further by having Adele cook and serve and clean up after everyone. Ultimately their sexual chemistry was unable to sustain their happiness as a couple and a relationship based in sex is more likely to lead to jealous insecurities. When the insecurities led to infidelity it was over.

Bobby hit alot of the symbolism, I hit what I felt the message was and I'll end with a couple stand out scenes.

The bus ride with Adele and Thomas. A+ acting from both participants here. Their awkward flirtation/get to know you/obvious crush act was completely honest, true to life, relatable, and every other word. Without the subtitles I'd have been able to follow along. Great scene.

The lesbian bar. As I mentioned the inequality of relationship before, in so many ways this scene sets the events in motion. Emma is basically the top of the food chain stalking her prey, even shooing off other would be suiters who sidled up to Adele. Their exchange was friendly and while her friends dragged her to Belgium, Emma knew she was going to have Adele.

The restaurant scene-
I've been in a similar situation on both sides and there are 4 possible outcomes. Outright denial, brief backslide until resisting, resistance is futile, sure I'll take a blowjob. Usually these don't take place in such a public setting which made it a bit awkward and as Bobby mentioned was a little too overt for the rest of the movie.

The closing art show- I've read a couple other reviews that suggested Adele's walking out on the art show alone as her growth and evolution, I felt more like she only recognized these people weren't her peers and she had little in common with them but she was still leaving alone and only slightly less vulnerable as she always had been.

I asked Mindy and she gave it a B+ though she doesn't speak French and worked while we were watching so she didn't get 90% of the subtitles.

I give it an A

Reply
Bobby
7/8/2015 08:52:52 am

Thanks, Sean! As I was jotting down points in Notepad while watching, I knew I'd have to go back and look at the literature parts again... which basically turned it into a 3.5+ hour watch, and still worth it.

I think her leaving the art show is a part of growth, sure, and it hits on the No Need poem in the scene before, but as I mentioned... I don't think Adele understands that... just as the kids don't really understand the poem they're reading, and it ending with the words, "no need to understand." I agree with you she realizes that those people (including Emma) aren't her peers or who she is and needs... while still not knowing who or what she does need.

And yeah, the acting on the bus was fantastic... and it set the tone for the rest of the film with how honest every expression, reaction, delivery had to be.

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Shane
7/14/2015 04:41:13 am

I'm glad you hit on the relationship being based on sex. That's something I meant to mention. It was a completely relatable relationship that I think everyone probably goes through. Those relationships have to eventually end and the diner scene, though a bit too overt, is a natural ending.

Though, considering how overt the bar scenes were with the kissing because I think we're viewing it from Adele's POV, perhaps the diner scene is the same.

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Jon
7/8/2015 03:44:54 pm

This is a great review, and it additionally makes me feel better about ignoring most of the literary subtext in the film. I can leave all that stuff out of my eventual review and focus on Adele's constant chewing with her mouth open.

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Bryan
7/8/2015 04:48:50 pm

It took me 4 or 5 tries to finish the first half of this movie. All that philosophy stuff is just that, stuff. I was not inspired and it, the movie, the philosophy, the long scenes, bored me to tears. Any movie which uses the word “florid” is generally not my cup of tea. Everyone needed to shut their mouths and go do something. Watching Adele wander around with her mouth open reminded me of Butthead from Beavis and Butt-head. I kept waiting to hear “Good idea, huh huh, can’t wait to go, huh huh.”
The scene at the high school showed the brutal reality of teenagers and I was drawn back in. The sex scenes were basically porn - I didn’t get the point of dragging that on for so long. I don’t think they helped the latter parts of the movie one ounce. Blue was losing me, then we had lens flare during a makeout scene in the park and I had to take a hiatus. I’ll add this out of order here, but we were given some lens flare again as Adele slept in the park. Maybe it was the same bench, who cares. I think it was a terrible directing decision given the point of the movie seems to be an intimate view of Adele’s life.
The parental dinners kept me from cashing it in. They show the dichotomy of the girls’ past leading to what would inevitably be a failed relationship. The breakup was intense and I loved it. Watching Adele carry around the baggage of a lost love was a trainwreck (in a good way) worth watching. Sidenote: he clearly showed why 19 and 20 year olds don’t belong in the classroom - you have to leave that baggage at home. Those students should be a reprieve from the heartache of life.
The first half of this movie was an F, I hated it. Too much philosophy and too many wasteful, boring scenes. The second half was an A-, one of the greatest relationship breakups in cinematic history. I don’t think most of the first half was needed to make the second half great. Opening grade, B-.

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Sean
7/8/2015 04:59:44 pm

Interesting, the second half took away the + from my A. I thought the falling in love/lust was more authentic than the post-breakup stuff.

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Bryan
7/8/2015 05:06:42 pm

I thought the breakup showed the heartache and brutality of a bad breakup quite well.

Bobby
7/8/2015 05:03:16 pm

With out the first half's slow and developing scenes, I don't think you appreciate the breakup and after math nearly as much. So while you didn't enjoy watching it, I think it, at least partly, served its purpose for you.

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Bryan
7/8/2015 05:05:52 pm

I think pre-breakup could have been 20 minutes and had the same effect.

Bobby
7/8/2015 05:18:16 pm

No way... without drawing us into the characters, especially Adèle, and becoming familiar with where they come from, what they do, how they feel... the break is just a spectacle with no context.

Now I want to sit somebody down and start the movie at the dinner party, and see what they think of it without witnessing everything before... but I'd feel like I was depriving them of masterpiece quality footage!

Bryan
7/8/2015 05:23:50 pm

Um, yes way :)

My imagination could create a context for the breakup of equal, if not greater magnitude, than the drawn out process the director created.

Maybe I just liked post breakup because it meant the shenanigans were finally winding down.

Bobby
7/8/2015 05:26:31 pm

"My imagination could create a context for the breakup of equal, if not greater magnitude, than the drawn out process the director created."

Start penning your screenplay... you could fund a mega MMC!

Sean
7/9/2015 01:32:45 am

sounds like someone is more scarred from a bad breakup than warm and fuzzy from falling in love

Bryan
7/10/2015 08:34:18 am

It looked to me like she was a student-teacher.

Bryan
7/10/2015 08:50:15 am

^Wrong reply spot.

Jon
7/9/2015 07:58:17 pm

The race for the Best Review MMC award is heating up after Bobby's review. Literary as hell, that is a thorough breakdown of Blue is the Warmest Color. I salute you, sir, and am glad that I can mostly ignore that part of the movie in my review, as I can only do it worse.

An early question in Bobby's review asks what this movie is about. For me, it was about self-knowledge, and Adele's complete lack of it. She exists mostly on a sensual level, in control of her tastes in food and music and sex, but unsure of anything beyond that. She protests not for any deep-seated beliefs, but because it's fun to dance and yell and march through the streets. Emma claims she's a good writer, but the viewer has to take her word for it. I doubt it. She's not a great conversationalist. She's comfortable around small children, further emphasizing how out of her depth she is around Emma. I'm of the opinion that self-interrogation is highly valuable, and Adele doesn't seem interested in why she does anything. She knows that she's got a good spaghetti recipe, and has landed at the correct opinion that screaming rock sucks. All else is a mystery.

The Freudian, likely reason for that refusal to self-examine is her unwillingness to tell anyone aside from Emma's friends that she's bisexual. We don't really see Adele's friends after they accuse her of being a lesbian, and though whatever happens next with them happened off-screen, I'd bet Adele ignored them instead of the other way around. Her parents seem completely in the dark, as do her colleagues. As much as her relationship with Emma is built on passion, there's plenty of shame blocks in there, too, making the relationship rotten from the start. It's totally possible my opinion of the French is too high, but I didn't really buy this pretty key aspect of the film's dynamics. Adele's parents aren't as cosmopolitan as Emma's, fine, but there's no impression that it would be so difficult for her to come out to them, and thus everyone else. That lack of believability on my part damaged Adele's character, making her weaker than I thought she already was.

My interpretation of Adele's secret shame dooming her relationship is bolstered by how confident a person out-and-proud Emma is. She's simply the better, more interesting person. Her seduction, beginning from their first glances and continuing at the lesbian bar, is complete and irrevocable. She knows exactly who she is as a person and as an artist. Emma's fiery, implacable resolve in the face of Adele's breakdown after she gets busted for cheating is not how I expected that scene to play out, but in the context of who Emma is, it could only have gone that way. She so clearly makes the right decision when they meet again at the restaurant, able to be vulnerable but seeing a renewed relationship with Adele as not the way to go. I might criticize the film for making Emma pretty much the same person from start to finish, but when she's as cool as she is, who cares?

The value of self-knowledge is one takeaway. The other is a reinforcement of how gross people are. Kechiche is all about the human body here, and being in an industry obsessed with contamination, I did not appreciate how aggressive he was with bodily fluids and sloppy eating. Adele could not close her mouth, not when eating or breathing. Kechiche demystifies her like no one else in the film, showing her sleeping in a clumsy position and with specks of food falling out of her mouth.

Then there's the sex scenes. We're in agreement so far that they were unnecessarily long, and I fully agree. That's some male gaze behind the camera. Nothing is added after minute one, move on. To Kechiche's credit, the tangle of limbs after their first rendezvous was a great shot to finish on, but it should've happened much earlier, plus the soft lighting and the framing made it porn, full-stop. Yes, first-time sex is sloppy and clumsy and tangled, but that's easily communicated in much less time.

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Jon
7/9/2015 07:59:32 pm

I was not a big fan of Adele, but the opposite is true for Exarchopoulos. She's fantastic in the role, running the gamut from the post-virginity dead-eyes to the pure joy after kissing Emma for the first time. The character becomes intolerable without that plaintive look Exarchopoulos often gives her, a sad-eyed sheep desperate to find her flock. It's always impressive when an actor has to portray a character who is a bad actor, and with Adele's inability to mask what she's feeling, Exarchopoulos nails it. Lea Seydoux already had her praises sung in how much I liked her Poochie-style character, such that I was asking Where's Emma whenever she wasn't onscreen. They're a well-complemented couple, deserving of all the awards.

I do love it when the literary, thematic aspect is deeply woven into a movie, but I also like it when it's more subtle. With all the readings and discussions of very specific philosophers and their writings, Blue is the Warmest Color is laying it all out there in dialogue. Something like The Master resonates because there are so many different interpretations that can be gleaned, whereas this outright states the two or three important outcomes. The 'tragedy is the fulfillment of the inevitable' most succinctly sums up the film for me, as a relationship in which one half cannot be honest with themselves is doomed to fail. As an argument for coming out, Blue is the Warmest Color may as well have been written by Harvey Milk.

It's always a feat when a 3-hour movie can hold my attention all the way through, and Blue is the Warmest Color succeeds on that front. The acting is superb. I expect one or both main actresses to take home an Mediocrity, putting their imaginary statues next to their awards from Cannes. Ultimately, it's not so different from other young-woman-finding-herself dramas, following many of the same patterns and ending much the same way, on a note of vague possibility. That, the thematic explication, the general grossness of how Adele was filmed, plus the overlong sex scenes detract enough to make it a B, but I'm pretty wobbly on that. Maybe a B+, we'll see how discussion goes.

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Phil
7/10/2015 06:42:35 am

First off, I’m going to echo the sentiment that we’ve already had a handful of great reviews. Bobby really hit all the main points, and Kissel pretty much wrote out my thoughts about the movie. Apologies in advance if this feels slightly redundant….

“Blue is the Warmest Color” is an extremely smart movie. It’s smart in that it manages to run three hours and not wear out its welcome. It’s also smart in that it uses this time to really build up to gut-punch moments. And finally, maybe most of all, it’s not a movie about what it advertises itself as. This isn’t a movie about the life of a lesbian or bisexual girl; it can be super-imposed on several crises of identity.

Let’s start with that run time and how the movie uses it. Three hours is a long time. However, when thinking about the movie, I don’t know what I’d remove, as taking a number of things out would lessen the impact. The obvious first things on the chopping block would be the sex scenes, but I found them necessary to build to that one moment where Emma declines sex b/c she’s “on her period,” something Adele quickly questions. That small scene carries more weight and impact given how intimately we know their sexual history. We don’t need to see much else at that point to know this relationship is in trouble. Many of the other instances of this have already been discussed, primarily weaving in the philosophical discussions in class with actual events. This actually might negatively affect my grade of “Waking Life,” if that’s even possible. Blue manages to weave these philosophical diatribes into its narrative effortlessly, while Waking Life struggled with similar issues. If I would have cut anything, it may have been some of the early “morose” Adele. I understand why it was there, but just personally, I don’t enjoy following around a mopey protagonist for 70 minutes.

Beyond runtime, Blue smartly does not fall into any traps based on its themes. I like that Bobby asked what this movie is about. And so far, everyone is right – it’s not about “lesbians.” I tend to side with Kissel in that it’s a movie about a girl coming to terms with who she is and being unwilling to accept it. The scene that really sticks out to me here is the confrontation between Adele and her friends. The friends do not seem offended that she is or may be a lesbian, it’s the potential violation of trust. Her friend that gets the angriest seems to be most upset about sharing a bed with her. This is all juxtaposed against openly-gay Valentin, who is accepting by everyone in the group. Kissel also identifies this is what pushed Emma away, and I tend to agree with that line of thinking. It’s one of those instances where the cover-up is worse than the crime. I like Corolla’s thoughts here – we aren’t offended of someone being gay, but the uncertainty is what drives us mad. Just confirm it so we can get on with our lives. Valentin and Emma were fine with this, and Adele was not.

I could see several of the themes here applying to any crisis of identity, whether it be sexuality, religion, gender, political belief, etc. There are several things we can believe about ourselves that lead to perceived rejection from our peers or that we simply do not want to believe in ourselves. Sexuality is one of the most struggled with and controversial, but I could see a similar plot play out for someone coming to terms with being an Atheist or Transgender or even a Republican. (Ok, the last one is a joke. No political debates here please.)

One question I will throw out to the group: Do you all feel like Adele had any real growth as a character? Personally, I do not believe she did. She felt just as unsure and closed off as she did in the opening scenes. As far as we can tell, she never shared her relationship with Emma with anyone in her life, even her parents.

“Blue is the Warmest Color” is winning this round of movies. Smart, deep, and well-acted, Blue managed to do something very difficult – hold my attention for three hours. Well done.

+ Smartly sets up impact of scenes with exposition
+ Powerful message about self-identity
+ Very well-acted
- I had my fill of mopey Adele early
- Adele experiences no significant character growth

Grade: A-

Reply
Bobby
7/10/2015 06:55:25 am

"I like Corolla’s thoughts here – we aren’t offended of someone being gay, but the uncertainty is what drives us mad. Just confirm it so we can get on with our lives. Valentin and Emma were fine with this, and Adele was not."

Why does it drive you mad? Unless you're sexually involved with somebody, why do they ever have to confirm their sexuality to you? And Adèle's angry friend is the worst... making it all about her and assuming that being Adèle being interested in women instantly endangers her. It's a gross, but realistic, reaction... how people suddenly feel threatened by somebody else's sexuality.

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Phil
7/13/2015 08:46:35 am

I got sick and forgot about all of this. Anyway...

It's a mystery. Generally, people don't like mystery. Religions were created solely to explain the unexplained. Any time someone gets sick or dies, many people are naturally curious why it happened. Yes, it's not "our business" and it never needs to be "confirmed," but this is a base problem many people have.

Sean
7/10/2015 06:57:58 am

Agree on Adele's growth completely, it was the problem I mentioned from other reviews I had read. She's still just as sloppy and glassy eyed as the beginning. The only thing she learned was she doesn't fit in with artsy types.

Slight disagreement on Adele's friends- "You're never going to eat my pussy" is a bit more than simply a feeling of betrayal, though other friends did call that girl out for being a bitch so if Adele had wanted she could've remained friends with some of her old crew.

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Shane
7/14/2015 04:49:03 am

I think Adele grows in three scenes.

1. When she breaks up with Thomas
2. When she goes to the lesbian bar
3. When she walks away from the art show

The third is going to be the biggest growth because it's what allows her to stop pursuing a person and just be herself. She learns to say no, as was seen in the book discussion early. We don't get to see how she grows, but that's OK.

Bryan
7/10/2015 07:05:40 am

The movie covers a month or two of Adele's life and there was maybe a hint of growth, but I don't think there needed to be. Being 20 is awkward. Going through a breakup is awkward. A few weeks of sulking isn't enough time for true growth. I guess she had no arc, eh Jon?

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Sean
7/10/2015 07:56:17 am

Waaaay more than a month. When the movie starts shes a junior in high school and Emma is in college. When it ends she's in her 2nd year teaching.

Bryan
7/10/2015 08:04:32 am

Schooling in France isn't like the US. Compulsory education ends at 16 and they don't have token graduation parties. http://www.france.fr/en/studying-france/french-education-system-nursery-school-high-school.html

Bobby
7/10/2015 09:15:29 am

The movie starts when she's 15. We see her 18th birthday party, and we see her in her 2nd year of teaching. It's a span of about 4 to 5 years over the entirety of the movie.

Bobby
7/10/2015 09:16:16 am

If not slightly more.

Bryan
7/10/2015 09:31:36 am

Obviously I'm a doofus, what did I miss that showed this?

Bobby
7/10/2015 10:18:03 am

Netflix and most descriptions tell us that she's 15 when we start, she's in highschool, but Thomas is a year ahead of her, so she's not a senior. Then her surprise birthday party, they say "happy 18th Adèle!". With the teaching, we see her finish an entire year, and talk about how next year she gets first graders, which is the class we see her with at the end.

Also, Lise had her baby, and Emma told Adèle the kid was 3 at the time of the dinner.

Bryan
7/10/2015 03:04:52 pm

Thanks Eagle Eyes.

P.S. I'm not sure what the audible synonym for "Eagle Eyes" is.

Bobby
7/10/2015 09:28:13 pm

I think Eagle Eyes works just fine here...

Yay, subtitles!

Like Bot
7/14/2015 04:46:14 am

Like Bot likes this comment:
" This actually might negatively affect my grade of “Waking Life,” if that’s even possible."

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Bobby
7/10/2015 07:04:34 am

Concerning the movie being about self-knowledge and self-growth... I agree, to a point. There was a moment when I wanted to call the Blue is the Warmest Color a 'coming of age' movie... but it's really hard to say that Adèle completed the development necessary. Phil marks that down as a negative, but I see it as the exact opposite... I think it's a testament to the movie's honesty, in that it's the eureka moments or amazing transformations we often see in movies don't happen in such a manner in real life. We're given multiple years to see Adèle struggle with herself and relationships (family, friends, men, and Emma), and she still can't simply figured it all out. Life doesn't suddenly become void of difficulty and questions... which is what so many endings leave audiences to believe. But not here...

But to answer Phil's question... Yes, Adèle grew up some and figured out some things about herself, and others... but she didn't figure it all out, and she's not a finished product of a person... as most people in their early 20s aren't, so she has no need to be.

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Bryan
7/10/2015 07:08:15 am

Wait, years passed?

Reply
Drew
7/12/2015 12:16:48 pm

Blue is the Warmest Color was by and large a coming of age film. It documented a high school girl growing up and trying to find her place in relationships both romantic and platonic. Adele finally found her niche with Emma a lesbian who was older than her.

First, Blue taught its viewers the necessity of a healthy and balanced relationship. One that is based on sex is a fire that ends quickly and that is abusive, whether physically or emotionally, are to be avoided.

Second, it projected the earlier points in the most drawn out ways as possible. It was incredibly boring. There was no need, in any scene, to be drawn out to the nth degree. The film's point and enjoyment could have been easily achieved in ninety minutes. The acting was mediocre, the dialogue inane, the length frivolous, and the characters small.

Third, a portion of Phil's review of A Girl walks Home Alone at Night hit the spot. "What didn’t help was that the movie was a caricature of the Sundance culture. Holy crap. Remember the South Park episode with the film festival, and the hit was the gay cowboys eating pudding in black-and-white?" That line ran through my head in every meaningless scene that was Blue is the Warmest Color.

Finally, Kechiche had a solid opportunity to tell a compelling story about coming of age but squandered it on empty scenes and asinine conversation. Is there a way I can get a refund on my waste of near three hours?

Grade: C-

Reply
Bryan
7/12/2015 02:49:23 pm

You can quit, but we don't want that.

I think the acting was great, but I do agree that many scenes were reaching or past the dead horse.

Reply
Drew
7/12/2015 03:11:47 pm

No clue what the first sentence means.

Bryan
7/12/2015 04:30:50 pm

In response to your refund.

Drew
7/14/2015 05:23:43 am

I never said they were the same thing. In my review, they were two different points and in my response to Bobby they were different points.

Sean
7/12/2015 02:58:20 pm

Provide a brief list of your favorite acting performances please Drew. Blue was far from mediocre in that department.

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Drew
7/12/2015 03:51:08 pm

Sean:

Kevin Spacey - Usual Suspects
Uma Thurman - Kill Bill Vol 1
Mel Gibson - Braveheart
Martin Sheen - Apocalypse Now
Jack Black - Bernie
Will Ferrell - Stranger Than Fiction
Michael Douglas - Wall Street
Samuel L Jackson - Pulp Fiction
Kevin Costner - Field of Dreams
Michael Keeton - Multiplicity
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Forrest Whittaker - Last King of Scotland
Hugh Jackman - The Wolverine
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Gene Hackman - Hoosiers
Harrison Ford - Empire Strikes Back
Johnny Depp - Curse of the Black Pearl
Al Pacino - The Godfather I and II
Marlin Brando - Apocalypse Now
Leonardo DiCaprio - What's eating Gilbert Grape?

Is that what you wanted?

Bobby
7/12/2015 03:57:57 pm

If I may ask a few questions concerning your view on the acting...

What about the acting was only mediocre, Drew? Are there moments in the film that stood out to you as bad acting? Or were the 2 leads just average from start to finish? What could they have done for you to see them as better performances?

I have no issue with you not liking the film, I figure that'd be the the case going in. But, I'm very curious as how you see the acting as only mediocre.

Bryan
7/12/2015 05:03:52 pm

Interesting list. Not sure if it's the movie or the role, but I feel like all of the following are blatantly acting, just some person going through lines on screen. They do it well, but they aren't doing enough to make me forget they're acting. In Blue is the Warmest Color it was almost as if a camera was dropped into Paris and we saw people's lives.

Uma Thurman - Kill Bill Vol 1
Mel Gibson - Braveheart
Jack Black - Bernie
Will Ferrell - Stranger Than Fiction
Samuel L Jackson - Pulp Fiction
Kevin Costner - Field of Dreams
Marlin Brando - Apocalypse Now

Drew
7/12/2015 05:09:52 pm

Bobby, except for the sex scenes, nothing appeared authentic. Everything was forced. The scene that comes to mind is when Emma had an outside opening and Adele made the dinner. That was one of the most awkward parts of any movie.

Throughout the film, they were completely unengaging and bored me.

I wanted to be like Robespierre in 1793/1794 and publicly beheading them through the guillotine. Ugh.

Bobby
7/13/2015 06:07:51 am

It was... supposed to be awkward. How she felt seeing Emma interact with Lise, how she felt with around people she wasn't truly comfortable with and didn't fit into their views and way of life... it was a solid scene

Bryan
7/13/2015 06:10:58 am

While I found it to be an uninteresting scene, the awkwardness was natural and realistic.

Sean
7/13/2015 11:36:06 am

Thanks for the list. All famous parts in very famous movies. I didn't really want to do anything with the list I was mostly just shocked at the mediocre acting comment that I wondered if there was some lost cinema filled with great acting I was missing out on. The only ones out of place to me are Will Ferrel as himself in an inventive yet terrible movie and The Wolverine.

Shane
7/14/2015 04:32:42 am

Boring =/= bad acting. Two very different things. And I could understand you finding the film and performance boring, though I still think objectively the performances here were incredibly well-done.

Drew
7/14/2015 02:57:26 pm

I never said they were the same thing. In my review, they were two different points and in my response to Bobby they were different points.

(I posted this in the wrong area...oops!)

Drew
7/13/2015 06:42:59 am

She was not truly comfortable throughout the film because she was a bad actress. It was a terrible scene because it was entirely forced. She had to play awkward but gave off creepy and that was a wholehearted miss. I stand by my statement, like it or not.

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Shane
7/14/2015 04:30:47 am

Wrestling Heel Drew is an interesting character. Very similar to Contrarian Joe.

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Shane
7/14/2015 04:30:08 am

“She dies the day she says no. It’s a tragedy.”

Blue is the Warmest Colour’s director Abdellatif Kechiche spoon-feeds us this line early in the movie and tells us how this movie is going to end. He is telling us that Adele is eventually going to have to say no to someone or something for her to transition from being small. He set us up early with how important this theme is going to be when Adele breaks up with Thomas. She’s miserable and finally finds happiness merely by making a choice to not just fall into line.

I didn’t put it together then, but then realized where we were going once we hit Chapter 2. This philosophical foreshadowing was effective filmmaking that is the glue to a movie that could be considered rather formless by some. There was no other option for an ending unless you wanted Adele to remain lost and wandering her entire life.

He also gives us guidance in why the shots linger like they do when he talks about catching someone’s gaze. Does the event leave you full or empty? Those lines develop Adele’s character as we see her empty and longing looks throughout the film. She is a person who leaves the event missing something.

This movie is not about lesbians. It’s about people. As primarily men around here, we’ve grown up with cliché’s of lesbians: hot lesbians who want to have sex on camera in ways that are surprisingly pleasing to men and sporty lesbians who pound beers and play sports. Even the most liberal amongst us have these ideas in their heads (which is what humans do, no judgment). These concepts of lesbians dehumanize the people. Even the more politically correct or accurate depictions do this. Just the label itself: Lesbian. It suggests something that is different and definite, but it’s not something we can relate to or empathize with inherently. We can march for gay rights and have lesbian friends, but true empathy will be hard to come by because we can’t come close to that experience.

It’s like having kids. I hate it when people say, “You just don’t know what it’s like. Wait ‘til you have a kid, then you’ll understand.” I have that statement because it’s used in a condescending manner 99% of the time. However, that statement is mostly true. It’s a unique experience that probably takes experience in raising a child to understand (and that’s ok). You just can’t possibly know and neither can we when it comes to Adele’s experience as a woman attracted to other women.

However, Adele Exarchopoulos, Lea Seydoux and Kechiche do an excellent job of stripping the label of lesbian from Adele the character. It’s not Adele the Lesbian. It’s Adele the person who just happens to be interested in a woman.

Kechiche masterfully films the small details of Adele’s humanity in dealing with the relationship experiences. The uncomfortable high school break-up where the guy cries is entirely relatable. The uncomfortable glances. Adele’s constant insecurity in new places and with new people, which is where Exarchopoulos succeeds like no other in giving a visual representation that we all feel with anxiety in these situations. Even the bar scenes where everyone is making out: these scenes seem ridiculous until you realize you’re experiencing them from Adele’s POV. It’s a confirmation bias sort of thing where you notice what you want to notice.

The physical passion at the café.

The cold-shoulder in bed.

The confusing and forbidden affections for others.

All of these things can be related to by the viewer because they’re shared experiences. They’re the things we’ve all been through. They’re the events in our lives where we’re vulnerable and open. Where we’re most human.

We’ve all been Adele.

By the end of the movie, Adele is not a lesbian. She’s just Adele, which is plenty to be.

The only part where I thin Kechiche fails is that he does seem to fall in love with the physicality of Exarchopoulos. I understand the gazes and the camera fixated on Adele, but at times it become gratuitous, which is saying a lot for a movie with a 6 minute sex scene.

I guess it brings us to The Scene. This scene was incredibly well done and I think tasteful. There’s been talk that Kechiche should have had a lesbian on set to consult, but I don’t understand that considering the scene has been lauded as an accurate lesbian sexual experience by many women. Sexuality is incredibly personal, which is a theme the movie hits on that I hadn’t mentioned above. Having one person there to consult is as ridiculous as having lesbians all get together and vote on what a lesbian sex scene should look like: Neither would be accurate or inaccurate. What matters is was it well done and “did it accomplish its goal?”

I don’t feel like

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Shane
7/14/2015 05:14:42 am

Review got cut off and like a fool I didn't save it.

Basically: Scene done well and not made for men or whatever.

Bottom line: Relationships are fucking hard.

A-

Reply
Bobby
7/14/2015 05:49:47 am

From what I have seen, it seems a mixed bag of reviews on the sex scenes, which is fair. I think we mostly all agree that the sex scenes did a great job showing the personal aspects and awkwardness, passion, and intensity for their relative places in the film... so i agree that they accomplished the goal. But I feel it was taken beyond was was necessary for that.

A good quick read about what the source author thought:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/may/30/blue-warmest-colour-porn-julie-maroh

Not that she's the end all opinion, by any means... but I think an opinion of note.

Reply
Shane
7/14/2015 06:41:41 am

It was never going to match what she had in her mind. She even admits that some of the awkward aspects were hit. Instead of focussing on the scene, she focussed on the reactions of the viewers (in a small sample size). We say all the time that you can't hold the stupid reactions of stupid people against a movie. That someone laughed at that scene is a stupid reaction (and just plain bizarre).

Granted, I think we can reasonably disagree on the scene itself, which is what makes it fun anyway.

I still don't think this is remotely porn. Especially considering is has serious artistic value.

Bobby
7/14/2015 07:18:54 am

I think she used the reactions as a backing to her opinion... which is totally fair to question. Also, it's an article about what she wrote on her blog, which the link to that wouldn't load for me... so I can't really be sure how she actually said everything and in what context.

The way it seems is that her opinion is formed from the movie, and the audience's reaction just highlighted it for her.

I wouldn't label it as porn either, as it definitely has artistic value.




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